Sweet Embrace
by IllustriousHarbinger
Summary: After Edward leaves Bella, and the family up and vanishes, things start to fall apart. After a warning from Peter, and a bit of a push from Alice, Jasper finds himself back in Forks. Perhaps this could be the best thing in the world; and not just for him. *Revamped Submission.* *Rated M for language, violence, and stuff.* ON HOLD
1. Fate's Flight

I don't know what irritated me more: the fact that I was told, by Peter, to return to Washington, or the fact that my ex-wife was almost literally pushing me into it. The idea of returning to that state at all, not even Forks, was largely unnerving; that alone was unsettling, as I was supposed to be some big, feared vampire. However, feeling as though I was being thrust from the family was a bit hurtful, regardless of the fact that I never truly belonged in the first place.

I decided, then, that Alice shoving me away angered me more: We knew from day one that our love was not a permanent one, that our love was only one that would keep us alive until we were ready to find our true mates. This I knew; and yet, I still felt the sting of heartbreak when she told me that her time was here. That was almost a year ago, long before we even left Forks. Since then, we had settled our differences, and saved our friendship; which is why it pissed me the fuck off that suddenly she didn't want me around.

However I felt about leaving, though, I knew better than to go against Peter's advice, as vague as it was. If he felt that Washington was the best place for me to be, I'd sure as hell heed his word; bad things always seemed to happen whenever I ignored the Jedi vampire.

So now as I sit here at the Baltimore-Washington International airport, I can't help but fume a little; perhaps I was blowing the whole ordeal out of proportion, but damn, couldn't I have had more time to at least get used to the idea of having to go back there? I growled lowly to myself, ignoring the people around me as they stared, fear – and a lot of it – , lust, jealousy, and longing flooding my senses without relent.

I was almost relieved when my flight was called, rising to my feet quickly and striding to my place in line; a petite blonde woman shuffled up to the space in front of me, too busy with the awkward weight of her carry-on to afford me the attention that the rest of the terminal gave me. Before her sauntered a fairly large man, alcohol lingering on his breath; her husband I guessed, judging by his body language around her… and, of course, the names on their tickets.

As we boarded the plane, I rolled my eyes at his behavior; he argued for a full five minutes with the woman taking our tickets, demanding oreos instead of peanuts and silly shit like that. He paid no mind to his struggling wife as she trudged down the jetbridge, her small strength not enough to easily pick up the luggage. So, being the gentleman my momma raised me to be, I scooped her bag up in one arm, affording her a polite smile.

"Lemme know where you'd like to sit, ma'am," I urged her with a hushed tone, taking note that she was feeling no lust towards me; a very welcome change, "I'll put your bag in the overhead for you."

"O-Oh," the small woman stammered nervously; I was suddenly very interested in her. Although she was grateful for my assistance, she felt fear; not of me, I'd venture to guess, judging by the way her eyes darted towards her husband, "Thank you very much, young man."

I smiled politely as she shuffled down the aisle, cautiously throwing me a few glances; I chuckled inwardly, assuming that she thought I was going to somehow make off with her luggage while crammed into this tiny ass plane.

"Loriella?" Instantly, I knew that was the voice of her husband, and I felt the woman's fear peak to new heights; my eyes narrowed at what her reaction could possibly mean, "Lo- Woman, where is the damn bag? ___Good for nothin' females always fuckin' up. Such a simple fucking j-"_

At that point, I interrupted his low muttering by clearing my throat, "Sorry for the worry, sir, but I figured I should help the lady carry her luggage. I can assure you it is safe," I offered to placate him, lifting the bag slowly so he could see me deposit in into the overhead bins. Without acknowledging my good deed, the man went back to grumbling and shoved himself into the window side seat.

Loriella looked up at me with slight fear in her eyes, though her smile was one of genuine warmth; still, I felt none of the usual human emotions from her. She offered a smile, and a whispered thank you before settling in the seat beside her husband.

I quickly shuffled to the back of the plane, where there were fewer people; happy that I had booked a flight that was sure to only be half full, I managed to get a row completely by myself. Sure, I knew that alone, my control was impeccable, but I sure as hell wasn't going to needlessly subject myself to sitting between two humans for five hours. Hell no.

I closed my eyes and simply let the sounds wash over me; I must have looked as though I was fast asleep. I ignored the flight attendants as they gave their safety instructions, as well as the take-off. I felt the spike of nerves run through almost every human; some spikes were subtle while others were verging on absolute terror.

The minutes crept by, slowly turning into hours; even with a vampire's patience, I still couldn't wait to be out of this human filled metal tube._ Ugh._ I groaned inwardly at the prospect of the final hour on the plane.

During this final hour, I became more attentive, taking note of different, if mundane, conversations that filled the cabin; one in particular caught my attention, though it was in no way good. My jaw clenched as I felt a familiar mix of fear, offset with an anger akin to that of a drunken man who wasn't getting his way. I zeroed in on their conversation, already knowing that I would most likely regret the decision.

"Damnit it, woman," The man hissed, sending another spike of fear through Loriella, "You better keep yourself in line, or I'll make sure that child of yours never sees the light of day."

Terror coursed through Loriella, who was, I assumed, carrying this drunken fools child. My anger bubbled up; hell, I'm not sure why. Shit like this happened all the damn time with humans. Still, I don't think I could rest with the knowledge that this man was getting more than he deserved.

"D-Danny," Loriella stammered nervously, her voice wavering and her pulse sky high, "I told you, my love, I wasn't doing anything! The young man was simply offering me his assistance with my bag. It was really hea- ___eh!__" _

Loriella was cut off, her voice turning ragged and a burst of pain stabbing through her. I smelled a very faint trace of blood and I had to stifle a snarl; it was a very faint scent, most likely nothing more than a bruise, but still enough to make my blood, so to speak, boil.

Again, clenching my jaw, I pulled my laptop, quickly opening the lid. Without hesitation, I payed the small fee to get Wi-Fi, and immediately opened my email. I'm sure my typing speed was alarming to those sitting around me, but I was in no mood to put on my human charade; only slowing to a pace that the keys could handle. My fingers flying across the keyboard, I hastily wrote an email to my trusted lawyer, Jenks; I would not let this drunk _boy _live, but I wouldn't let the woman suffer because of it. I arranged to have a small fortune moved into a secret account in "Danny's" name, soon to be turned over to his wife; a nice size life-insurance policy was also filed in his name, though it would look as though it was purchased many years ago.

Forcefully hitting the send button, I slapped the lid of my laptop down, staring straight ahead and ignoring the fear rippling from the people around me. I had no doubt that my quick actions called their attention, perhaps even alerting them to my black-as-pitch eyes.

They knew not why they feared me, but still they did. Which was good, I decided; after all, I was going to murder a man in little over an hour. Not that they knew that, of course.

With a smirk on my face, I leaned back in my seat, excited for the events to come.

**A/N: Hello, lovely readers. A few of you might be confused; this story had been requested of me many years ago and about a year ago, I finally started writing it. However, I sorta abandoned it... Shame on me. So now, I'm revamping the story a bit and setting it lose on the world again.**

**And, if you are interested in reading my original work, and perhaps even supporting this author, please check me out at Patreon (.com) /AshleyRothermel **

**The link is also on my profile. Please please check it out!**

**Happy Reading, and, again, I apologize for the abandonment of this story. I will make a sure fire effort not to do so again. **


	2. Bloody Encounters

With a brisk stride, I pushed past the humans that crowded the CLM airport, wanting nothing more than to put distance between myself and my ___prey_. I realized, of course, that I would have to track him down later, but I had no worry of that; my only worry was getting him alone. Loriella did not need to see her husband drained, no matter how terrible he was.

I paused momentarily as my phone buzzed in my pocket, alerting me to a new text message. I sighed, already having an idea of who it might be; Alice, most likely, reprimanding me for my most recent violent decisions.

******2 am, behind the Days Inn. Make it quick. ~A.**

I tilted my head to the side, a slight smile landing on my lips; it wasn't as though I cared too much of what the family thought of me anymore. However, I was still rather warming to know that at least Alice understood my reasoning behind this. Chuckling, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and made for the airport parking lot.

Now, at this time of night, verging on around eleven, the parking lot was nice and empty, with only a few stragglers hunting down their cars. Sure that no one was looking, I leaped over the second floor guard rail, hitting the dirt outside with a soft ___whump. _I had decided that, with three hours to spare, I had enough time to high tail it home and at least check up on the house and change.

With vampire speed, the trip was short; the scenery around me had blurred into nothing but streams of colors, even to my highly trained eyes. It had been a long time since I had run with such wild abandon; it was exhilarating, to be quite honest.

I don't know what came over me, as I closed in on out old Forks house; be it the memories, or perhaps even the faint but lingering scent around it, I knew not. What I did know, however, was that I was being overcome with a painful sense of guilt; I wondered how Bella was doing after all this time. Had she recovered from our sudden disappearance? Sure, I felt guilty about us leaving her so quickly, and I felt pity on her knowing that Edward had broken up with her, but my main sense of guilt stemmed from the fact that it was _all my fault._

I growled softly at my own shortcomings and stomped up the stairs, seeking a change of clothes. As I rummaged through my old closet, I mentally cringed at all of the designer…___crap__, _that Alice had bought for me. Hell no, was I going to wear that shit anymore. I shoved all the neatly folded piles, and brightly colored bags out of the way, revealing a small cardboard box of my own clothes. I grinned and had no second thoughts, donning a pair of faded, torn up Wranglers, a tight black t-shirt, and an old battered Stetson. Alice always hated my southern roots, and like the fool I was, I let her take that away from me. At least, I thought coldly, she couldn't take any more.

1:57 A.M.

I grumbled impatiently as the minutes crawled by, the sound and scent of my prey fairly close by; I couldn't risk grabbing him now, as it sounded as if there were a fair few people around him. And so I waited, perched in a tree behind the Days Inn; the run back to Port Angeles was as much of a blur as the run home, though this time, I was taken by an extreme excitement; the thrill of the hunt, I would suppose.

My unnecessary breath caught as my prey stepped away from his group, pulling what I assumed was a cigarette from his breast pocket. I licked my lips, smirking as he stepped into the woods. Silly human; had he stayed out in the parking lot, in clear sight of everyone, he might not have died this night. As it was, I would make sure he died a very ___frightening _death.

I leaped from the tree, the soft ___whump _of my feet on the earth masked by his own clumsy footsteps. I shook my head, inhaling deeply as my muscles clenched, already prepared to take my prey with expert precision; but I had to restrain myself, his death needing to be agonizing. I sprung forward, exhaling forcefully; I moved with blurring, vampiric speed, relishing the feeling of the disturbed earth beneath my feet.

I reached out, grabbing the man by his shoulder and spinning him around, quickly shoving my hand to his throat, so as to pin him to a thick tree; fear immediately spiked through him, enunciated by his intoxicated blood. I grinned wide, baring bright white teeth at him with a sadistic excitement. He stammered nervously, unable to speak intelligibly at this moment; I hissed at the sound of his voice, pressing my free hand to his shoulder.

"Do not speak," I ordered darkly, as my nails dug into his flesh. I quickly swiped my fingers across his chest, creating a long, deep gash in his skin; blood trickled from the gaping wound as he gasped and whimpered, causing me to chuckle deeply. His fear only spiked higher as he watched my eyes, a dark gold from suppressed desire, turn as black as coal, his blood infiltrating my senses.

My control has always been doubted by the Cullens, as I was never truly satiated by their animal diet; however, I doubt that any of them could stand where I was now, and not immediately devour the pathetic life form in my grasp. I did not, however, attempt to control the growl the bubbled up in my chest, making his breathing shake.

"So, ___Daniel_," I spat at him, making sure he could feel my malicious intent, "Did you enjoy your flight?"

My prey attempted to answer, enticing me to squeeze his neck tighter, cutting off his airways for a few moments. Sure, I had asked him a direct question, but that didn't mean that I actually wanted to hear his voice. I sneered and continued talking to him, keeping my voice low and deadly, "Now, ___Daniel__, _I don't know how your momma raised you, but mine always told me to respect a woman, and to defend her should the need arise. I ain't blind, boy, and I know what you're doing to her."

"I'm not d-" Daniel started, and I only squeezed tighter, choking him for a few seconds once more.

"_I ____know,"_I snarled, lifting my lips to bare my teeth at him. Of course, most of this was to terrify the ever living hell out of him, but I wasn't joking when I said I would defend a woman in need. It was my mistake to ease up on his throat- or, rather, maybe it was his. His next words nearly split my control in half.

"N-Now you listen here, pal," he defiantly stammered, peaking my interest a bit, "It's not any of your business what I do with my propert- ___AHH!"_

I didn't even care to muffle his scream. I knew the rest of his sentence, and I saw red because of it. In a split second, I released his throat, only to slam that hand into his collarbone, smirking at the sickening crunch of bone. I pressed hard against his collarbone, growling lowly as I curled my fingers into his flesh.

"Okay, now, ___pal__," _I sneered, tightening my grip, "I'm going to explain exactly what's going on. First, I'd like to let you know what will happen with Loriella. I've made sure that she, and her child will be taken care, financially, of for the rest of their lives; something I doubt you could have accomplished. They will inherit a rather large sum of money and, within the next couple weeks, be persuaded to move to a nice community. Don't worry. Your ___property_will be fine. You, on the other hand, will not. You see, I am a very dangerous man, and I have half a mind to put you down like a dog right now. Daniel… This is where you beg for your life."

I smirked at the fear that rippled from his very core, his determination slipping away. What surprised me, though, was the anger that stewed within him. Still, his voice was weak when he started to beg, "I-I can't die. You don't understand, man, I love my wife. She's just so frustrating some times. Bu-But I can change if you don't think I am treating her right! I'll make sure she's happy and shit! Please, just don't kill me! I'll give her everything she wants, I swear it! Just please, find it in your heart to forgive me!"

My smile dropped as I nodded solemnly, taking a few deep breathes, "Now, Daniel," I murmured as I shut my eyes, feeling his hope, "Now is when I ignore your pleas."

I projected as much fear into as I could, wanting him to break down before I ended his existence. Oh, and I was not disappointed; the smell of urine overtook his fearful sweatiness and blood for a moment before I jammed his chin upwards. Typically, I would have snapped the neck of my prey before feeding; now, however, I wanted him to know exactly what was going on.

His fearful, painful gurgles were music to my ears as my teeth sliced through his flesh like butter; the fresh blood that welled out of the wounds was divine on my tongue, on my throat, despite its' alcoholic taint. His cries and gurgles got weaker, the more I gulped down the warm life source, until he fell quiet, and I let him fall from my grasp. Licking around my lips, I glanced at the forest floor below me, making sure there were no footprints other than his; the remainder of his blood pooled around him, and I knew the local wildlife would make use of his corpse. Animal deaths were easy to explain.

I quickly fled from the scene, not taking any chances of someone coming to investigate his earlier scream. As I sprinted back to Forks, I let my mind wander; for the first time since meeting Alice, I felt satiated. Not just in the sense of a quenched thirst, but an emotional fullness as well. I had my slip-ups when I was with the Cullens; when I drank from a human then, it was nothing but uncontrolled, incomprehensible bloodlust that took over my brain. Tonight, however, was controlled and deadly, and gave me a peace of mind and body that animals just couldn't give me.

___Perhaps it was time for change__, _I thought as I passed the Swan's house, despair halting me in my tracks.

_Time for change, indeed._

_**A/N: Woo! Another chapter up and running; starting next update (anywhere between now and two weeks from now, due to finals), everything will be redone and edited to meet a newer and better plot line.**_

_**Your reviews, favorites, and alerts mean the world to me! I like knowing what you all think~**_

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_**Happy Reading~**_


	3. Un-bear-able Nerves

I felt as though I was rooted to the pavement; unable to move or turn away. Though mere seconds had passed by, they had felt like hours as I stared towards the Swan residence. The intensity of the emotion that poured from the home, the purity of each and every feeling, hit me like a damn truck. Had I not been absolutely sure that the only scents I smelled belonged to humans, I would have believed that a distraught vampire walked their home. As it was, I knew that only Charlie and Bella lay asleep inside; curious, that was. Human emotion was often dulled, dirtied by other feelings; only those emotions of supernatural entities met such purity. Such intensity. Yet, here I was, letting these crippling emotions wash over me. These feelings of desolation, despair, anger, self-doubt, self-hated and- No. I shook my head, building up an emotional barrier between myself and this negativity. I couldn't bare to be subjected to it any longer. It was stronger than anything I had felt in quite a long time.

I rocked back onto my heels, then up onto the balls of my feet, repeating the action a few times. I felt my curiosity getting stronger by the second, with only my unease holding me back. I didn't like the idea of spying on the Swan's; that Edward had- even going so far as to watch the girl sleep without her knowing- rather irritated me. Not that I ever voiced this opinion. I had no place. Still, I wanted nothing more than to soothe these emotion; to make sure both Charlie and Bella were safe from this torrent of unrelenting emotional destruction.

Finally, I made up my mind; as I bounced up onto the balls of my feet, I darted forward, moving at vampiric speed towards the far side of the house; I scaled up the siding, hoping that the slight noise wouldn't wake Charlie as I moved up the window- Charlie was a heavy sleeper, though, and a loud snorer at that. As I peered through the window, I found the Chief of Police peacefully sleeping. Well, I assumed it was peaceful, anyway. I had felt nothing but that terrible, terrible brew of negativity.

I let loose a deep sigh; if not Charlie, then those emotions belonged to Bella. Really, I had known all along, but I had hoped otherwise. Why? I really don't know. Perhaps it was a sense of guilt; after all, I reminded myself, it was my actions that led to Edward breaking up with her. Though, honestly, she could have rang if she really wanted.

I let go of the windowsill and trotted hesitantly over to the old oak tree that stood tall just outside Bella's window; with a sudden surge of speed, I lifted myself up into the tree, feet finding a firm hold in the bark as I bounded up into the thick branch that nearly touched the window. My breath, wholly unnecessary, caught in my throat as I gazed in on the girl. Her face was paler than I had remembered, and drenched with a sweat that had plastered her dull, damaged brown hair to her skin. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles and her cheeks were sunken in; I had no doubt that, if her blankets had not been drawn up to her chin, I would have found her body to be just as thin and frail looking.

Without thinking, without even hesitating, I pushed forth of wave of lethargy and serenity, smiling as the tiny girl's face became one of peace. I hesitantly lowered my emotional barrier, tasting the feelings around me; Bella's had succumbed to my influence, and Charlie's could now be felt: worry, defeat, but with the serenity that came with the blanket of slumber.

With another sigh, I dropped down from the tree and jogged out, at human speed, to the front yard, thinking about my next move. I felt it necessary to check up on the girl, after having felt her overwhelming emotions. Had something happened in their absence? He hardly thought them leaving and Edward breaking up with her would be enough to warrant this sort of depression. Of course, she may not want to see me; I didn't blame her.

Still, I would try.

First, though, I would need to hunt; to dilute the crimson color that came with my last _meal_.

***Warning: Jerk face Jasper plays with his food. Possibly disturbing to some***

I bounced once on the balls of my feet before taking off towards the forest, seeking out a ferocious meal; something that may prove to be a hassle, due to the winter months. I surrendered to instinct, letting my senses carry me to a fight. _Bears._ I smiled as their scents soon assaulted my nose.

I stepped quietly into the hibernation cave, listening intently to the slow and steady heartbeats that came from the slumbering carnivores. Four, I counted, closing my eyes just to double check. Yes, four. Two adults and two cubs, judging by the strength of the heartbeats. My footsteps carried me closer to the bears; I rounded a sharp curve in the cave, smiling as all four bears came into view. I was correct. I lowered my chin to my chest, watching the slumbering animals as I thought through my attack plan. First the cubs, then the male, and then perhaps a fight with the mother.

A small, malicious smile appeared on my lips as I bolted forward. With a swift arm, I lifted one of the cubs from its mother's side, snapping its neck and throwing it forcefully towards the male; the beast within, the bloodthirsty monster, growled happily as the male roused from his sleep. I chuckled deeply, the second cub in my grasp now. As the male stood, shaking sleep and confusion from his eyes, I drained his offspring before letting it drop to the ground.

I pounced, not letting him come to his senses. I ghosted around behind him, wrapping arms around his midsection and squeezing as hard as I could until I heard a satisfying crunch. His agonized roar echoed through the cave, shaking the ground. I dropped his quickly dying body and snatched the dead cub that laid near his body.

I swifted out of the cave, cradling the young, dead bear in my arms as I drained it, just as I had with its siblings. When I was done, I dropped my arms to my side, letting the small animal dangle from my grasp. I watched the mouth of the cave; I knew the strangled cries of the dying male would rouse the female; normally, I'd have taken them both on at the same time. Tonight, though... Tonight, I wasn't in the mood for it. Perhaps once Spring came around, I would have a bit more fun with my food.

It didn't take too much longer before I heard the anguished cry of the mother bear; anguish turned into outrage as she thundered out to meet the murderer of her family. When she met the outside air, she let loose a tremulous roar, eyes landing upon the cub that hung limp in my grasp. Murderous growled ripped from her throat as she charged.

I sunk into a defensive crouch, dropping the baby animal beside me. She barreled straight into me and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, lifting and throwing her aside. She charged again. This repeated itself a few times before she gave up that tactic. She switched to swiping massive paws at me, trying to keep out of range of my own arms.

I let her dance like this for a few moments before lashing out; I heard the sickening crunch of bone as my hand collided with her arm. She came back in and I struck again. I had to applaud her determination. However, even she seemed to know it was futile. After a few short minutes, she was reduced to a lying heap of fur on the ground, her heartbeat pounding against broken ribs.

She stared up at me with blazing, hate filled eyes. I simply smiled thankfully, pushing lethargy and peace towards her, allowing her to fall into slumber as I claimed her life; my teeth pierced flesh and her precious blood filled my mouth. I made quick of my meal before draining the male who had finally died within the cave; I wasted no more time.

***End hunt***

I felt full; too full, even. Hopefully it had been enough to affect my eyes.

I snorted softly; she'd probably view me as a monster regardless, so it really made no difference. I don't even know why I should care; but I did. I found myself compulsively checking the mirror once I arrived back home to change, relieved by the orangy copper tone that I found. I huffed and ran wet fingers through my hair, doing my best to rinse the dirt from my locks; I didn't want to waste time with a shower.

I paused as I looked up into the mirror again. I was irritated by the nervousness that was reflected on my face. I was the goddamn Major. The Southern Terror. Why the hell was a human making me nervous? _Nothing_ made me nervous.

_Nothing but her, _ a small voice said.

Good god, did that aggravate me.

I rolled my eyes and sprinted out the door, trying to figure out what I would say when I came face to face with Bella once more; as much as I hated to admit it, she _did_ make me nervous. More than that, though, I found myself _wanting_ to talk to her. To get her to forgive me. To get her back in my life again. I think I simply missed the human who treated me like something other than an animal. Not even my own adopted family could do that.

I suddenly found myself on Bella's front porch, unable to remember when I had actually gotten there. With an unnecessary breath, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door; it took her exactly twenty three nerve wracking seconds to open the door. Her face was blank and completely emotionless; this, however, changed as soon as she saw me. Her emotions went haywire, gaining strength by the moment; her eyes had gone wide and her face lost any trace of color.

Cringing with a hint of guilt, I built my barrier up around my emotions.

"Uh," I started dumbly, "Hello, Isabella."

**A/N: So it's 5 A.M. I really hope that I don't regret posting this in the morning. Please, please review. :3**

** For any of my original content, please look me up at Patreon (.com) /AshleyRothermel**

** Remember! Feedback is great for inspiration! *Hint hint***


	4. Punches and Puppies

I saw her fist fly towards my face.

I saw it, and yet I was incapable of avoiding the impact. I felt her fist connect with my left cheek, felt her fragile knuckles buckle; it was then that I regained my senses and moved back ever so slightly, saving her from broken fingers- or worse.

Still, I felt her pain; it had me seeing stars, had me building up a wall against her emotions, as she reeled back, letting out a loud wail. She bounced from foot to foot, clutching her right hand against her chest. I grimaced and stepped forward, taking her tiny fist gingerly in my own hand; the cold touch of my flesh made to ease the pain a fair bit, enough so that she stopped hollering.

"That wasn't such a good idea, Isabella," I murmured gently as I peered into her warm brown eyes; though I didn't dare to test the waters of her emotions just yet, I could see every single one of them, flickering through her irises: pain, anger, pain, worry, pain, anguish... the anguish in her eyes killed me.

I opened my mouth to speak once more when she didn't respond, but found myself holding back as Charlie came down the stairs to check up on Bella; wondering what she had been shouting about. He began to speak, but was cut short when he spotted me, grasping his daughter's hand as she stared at me; tears swimming in her eyes. His eyes narrowed and I cautiously tasted his emotions: rage built up within his being. Had I been mortal, I might have been scared.

"Hell no," he started lowly, eyes flickering towards his gun which laid on the kitchen table. His voice raised as he continued, taking a few steps towards us, "Absolutely not. You people are _not_ allowed in my house anymore. Not after what you cau-"

He was stopped, here, by Bella's tiny, but forcefully voice, "Stop."

His eyes stayed on me for a few seconds before sweeping towards Bella, his emotions drifting towards confusion, "Bella?"

"Daddy..." her voice was filled with gravel, and seemed to cause her a bit of pain, "Jasper didn't do anything wrong."

"Bells, they all left you without a single goodbye. They all left you like this," his voice was sad and filled with pain and confusion; it didn't escape him that Bella had never taken her eyes off of me.

"Chief Swan?" I piped up, keeping my voice appropriately timid, "I don't know what's going on; why you're so mad at me and my family. Moving away wasn't my choice," I stared straight at Bella as I said this, and then continued with a white lie, "I was scouting college campuses when I heard about the move."

"Charlie, please..." Bella's voice cracked before he could speak, "I need a moment with Jasper."

His eyes narrowed again as anger welled up in his being. Gruffly, he picked up his belt and gun and brushed past his daughter. He pressed his hand to my shoulder in passing and I moved appropriately against his motion. He spoke lowly, voice filled with venom, "Behave yourself, boy."

He didn't wait for me to respond before grumpily heading towards his cruiser. I waited for him to pull out of the drive before addressing Bella once more; she had not taken her eyes off of me, even as her father left.

"Isabella," I cooed warmly, waiting for her to finally tell him off for using her full name, "You should probably take something for your hand. The pain is only gonna get worse if you don't."

I waited.

Nothing.

With a sigh, I pressed my hand to the small of her back and led her into the kitchen; I hunted down a bottle of Ibuprofen and handed her a few pills.

She swallowed them down without waiting for a drink.

I studied her as she finally looked away; this wasn't the girl that we left. I knew it wouldn't be, after what I felt last night, but it still bothered me. What happened that she ended up like this?

Worry grew within her now, and she finally spoke directly to me, "Uh, one of the guys... from the reservation usually takes me to school... I could ask him no-"

"Isabella, you don't need to change your routine just because I'm here," I smiled warmly, even though my insides roiled at the thought of her being so close to the wolves. Leave it to Bella to warm up to the next supernatural creature she found, "You might want to get breakfast before you need to go, though."

* * *

We sat in silence as she nibbled on a piece of dry toast. She didn't seem to have much of an appetite; of course, I could have told you that right away, given her figure. I had urged her through two pieces of toast, and now she was finishing her third. Not too nutritious, but it looked like it was better than what she usually got.

We heard a truck pull up, and I could immediately feel the man inside tense; he knew I was here. Five seconds later and he was knocking on the door.

Bella nervously caste me a glance before scurrying off to answer the door. I wondered briefly if she knew what they were; she seemed to know that I wasn't going enjoy being near the pup. Of course, she could also be afraid that I'd eat him up as a snack. I chuckled; there was no way in hell.

Sam Uley – I remembered him from the few times we encountered the small back, prowled in, dark eyes already narrowed at me. Bella clung to the doorframe, watching him tremble for a few minutes, before fixing her stare on me once more.

"You aren't welcome here anymore, Cullen," he spat, causing Bella to cringe. His rage built higher and higher and I wondered if he'd lose control. That probably wouldn't be good for the danger magnet in the kitchen.

"Whitlock," I countered smoothly, arching my brow challengingly as I stared him down, "I don't think I've done anything to wear my welcome out."

"You nearly killed her," he growled lowly. Seems like she had told him all about her birthday party. Brilliant. "And by the looks of it, you killed someone else as well."

My eyes snapped to Bella in time to see her own widen in shock, but... oddly, not disgust. I gave her a curiously tilt of the head and returned to the shaking pup in front of me, "Abusive husband. No one in your territory."  
"No one in our terri- Look, Cullen-"

"Whitlock."

"Washington, whatever," he snarled, "You fucked up when you left and you aren't welcome here anymore. I don't care what you eat, you won't be doing it here."

"Sam," I stated in a voice that Bella wouldn't be able to pick up on, "I'm oblivious to the situation here. Just fuckin' speak to me." here, I raised my voice, "Bella's gonna be late to school if you don't go."

She knew that she was missing something; her eyes narrowed.

Sam clenched his fists before wheeling around, dragging Bella along with him. I heard the door slam, the engine rev, and the truck roar out of the driveway.

_Fuckin' wolves._

Obviously something had happened. Charlie was angry. The wolf boy was furious. And Bella... she seemed like a shell of herself, and unfortunately, I don't think I had seen the half of it. With a groan, I let my head hit the cabinet behind me, before slipping my phone out of my pocket.

I dialed Peter's number and he answered on the first ring.

"Hey there, fuck face," his voice boomed in my ear, causing me to grin; his enthusiasm was always a lift to my spirits, "How is the town of perpetual overcast?"

"It's sunny," I stated simply, hearing him scoff in disbelief; I don't think I could lie well enough to convince him otherwise, "Listen man, things look kinda fucked up here."

"Yeah, I kinda thought they would be. But that's alright," he sang happily, "Because we'll be at your doorstep in about three hours."

I sighed and shook my head, "That's great, Peter. But I'm not sure how much you'll be able to help. The human- Bella- she's a bit..." I paused before regretfully uttering the word, "broken."

"Well then put Humpty Dumpty back together again, Major."

"Easier said than done, Captain. I get the feeling that Edward left out a few details of their breakup," I had a sinking suspicion that he had said something to hurt him. I made a mental note to punch him in the face next time I saw him. I tilted my head as I heard the returning rumble of a truck.

"Sounds like you got some company, Major. I'll be seeing you soon."

He disconnected, just as Sam came prowling into the kitchen, not bothering to hide his rage anymore. I pocketed my phone and turned to face him, my head held high.

"Kay, Sam. I think ya need to explain a few things to me."

I hadn't thought that his words would make me want to kill my _brother._

**A/N: Have a six AM chapter~ Hopefully I won't have to rewrite it in the "morning"! **

**Poor Jasper is so very confused. :3 And he has every right to be so. Edward most certainly did leave a few details out of the breakup- a breakup that you aren't familiar with, as I tweaked it a fair bit. Any guesses as to what he did? Please review ^^**

**As always, my original content is up on Patreon (.com) /AshleyRothermel**


	5. I'm sorry

"Let's get one thing straight right off the bat," Sam growled at me, eyes filled with an anger that I couldn't quite understand, "The only reason- The _only_ reason I don't kill you on the spot, Cullen, is because she spoke to me about you."

"Whitlock," I corrected for the second time, head cocked to the side, "What's she been sayin'?"

"You don't understand, bloodsucker," he spat as I ignored his attempt at irritating me, "It doesn't matter what she said about you. The point is that she said something. Your presence caused her to speak."

My brow furrowed as I folded my arms across my chest, "She ain't been talkin' much?"

"Barely at all. The past month or so, we've been able to get her to open up a bit, mainly since she's been going Christmas shopping with my girlfriend, but... She's still a damn zombie. Hardly talks; barely reacts; only eats when she feels like she's gonna pass out."

Although his tone had dropped in a similar fashion to his emotions, his expression betrayed nothing but unmistakable hatred. I tilted my chin back, both wary and eager to hear his explaination for her behavior.

"He's a monster," he growled, dark eyes looking at me through a fringe of lashes that hid his heart broken emotions rather well. "He snuck into the house and scribbled down a note for Charlie, telling her that she went on a walk; telling him not to worry about her. He took her into the woods and he broke up with her, so she says. That's all anyone has ever been able to get out of her on the matter."

"But there's more?" I tilted my head to the side.

"Yeah" he leaned his head back, disgust and anger growing more prominent across his face, "It started raining, some hours after she had supposedly left. Charlie was growing worried and set up a search party. Naturally, with a bloodsucker involved, us wolves decided to take a look for her. _I _found her. He had her pinned up against a rock with one hand at her throat, one on her hip; blood covered those hands." I could see him trembling now, and sent him a helpful burst of calm. It stopped as he looked up at me, "'_Really, Bella, you're just a plaything for my kind_,' he told her, '_Something for me to use as I please, and now that I'm done with you, you're useless.'_ He had said something else to her, but... I wasn't of stable mind by that point. I chased the fucker off and came back to Bella as soon as I could. It's the only reason he lived."

Though I kept my face clear of expression, I could feel the hatred boiling in my chest. I wasn't usually one to be excessively violent against my adopted "family", but I could make an exception. I struggled to keep my voice even as I responded to the wolf.

"Well, I can assure you, Ulely. The next time I find myself face to face with _Edward_," I spat out his name, lips curling in a solitary show of anger, "it will be his last."

"Stand in line, Whitlock," a grin formed on the alpha wolf's face, grim and full of malice.

**A/N: As I'm sure you can tell, this is a very, very incomplete chapter. :/ Things have come up and... I can't seem to continue this right now. I assure you, I will try to get back to this as soon as my life allows, but I must warn you- That could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. I'm so very sorry.**


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